For release: June 18, 2002
 

Be Aggressive in Dealing with Drought

 BROOKINGS, S.D. -- South Dakota Producers facing drought should be aggressive in downsizing their herds, lining up winter grazing and arranging alternate feeds.
 
"The people who get on top of it and market early and line up feed for winter early, they will have an advantage over those who try to wait this thing out," South Dakota State University Extension Range Livestock Production Specialist Barry Dunn said.

Dunn said the number of livestock going through area sale barns is an indication that most producers are downsizing their herds. Dunn said the extent of this drought -- including not just South Dakota but a huge area of Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska -- makes it impractical to try to keep entire herds intact by trucking them to better pastures.

"For most producers, it's sad to say that liquidating at least a part of those herds is necessary to get through this drought," Dunn said. "A reduction of 30, even up to 50 percent of the carrying capacity of those ranches could be required."

Dunn said there are several points producers should keep in mind for managing through the drought:

* Downsizing Strategy: The tendency is to sell the yearlings first. But Dunn suggested producers keep in mind what's called "net present value," which is typically highest for young stock in a drought situation. Holding on to young breeding stock as long as possible sets the stage for recovery. Dunn recommends selling old cows should go first, even down into the 7- and 8-year-old level. If producers plan to sell cow-calf pairs, sell those with steer calves first and hold on to those with heifer calves as long as possible.
 
    "Selling older cows, selling cows with steer calves, are certainly the first steps to take to work toward a short-term solution and hold some long-term cards in our hands to recover from this drought," Dunn said.

* Winter feed: Ranchers should begin making contacts now to find farmers in eastern South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming or Nebraska who will have corn stalks or winter pasture available for rent over the winter months.

* Annual grain crops and nitrate: Farmers and ranchers planning to graze annual grain crops should be aware of the danger of nitrates. Oats are especially bad but wheat can be a problem, Dunn said, adding that about 5 to 7 percent of the wheat samples being tested by SDSU laboratories this year show dangerous levels of nitrates. Contact your county Extension office for the address and directions on how to get a sample to SDSU for analysis, Dunn said.

* CRP as feed: If Conservation Reserve Program lands are opened to haying and grazing, be aware that forage is going to be quite coarse and producers are likely to see a drop-off in cattle performance. "If you're seeing a drop-off in performance, then some supplemental protein would be a great idea," Dunn said.

* Alternatives for protein: Distillers dried grains from ethanol plants are available in many areas as a good source of protein for cattle. Soybean products are another alternative. Even soy hulls carry roughly 12 percent protein.

* Creep-feeding: Soy hulls and other products make great creep feeds. "Creeping your calves does reduce the pressure on the pasture, on those forage resources, and feed is extremely cheap," Dunn said.

* Early weaning: It may be more advantageous in a year like this to put the calves in a lot away from the cows and feed them a mixture of soy hulls, distillers dried grain and corn. "What happens is the cow dries up and her nutrient requirements drop dramatically," Dunn said. "That will reduce the pressure on the pastures dramatically and help a person limp through this drought."
--ljn--
Contact: Barry Dunn, (605) 688-5455
** For links to other sites showcasing SDSU's work in teaching, research, and Extension, visit http://sdces.sdstate.edu.

Lance Nixon, Editor
AgBio Communications Unit
South Dakota State University
ACC, Box 2231, Rm 200
Brookings, SD 57007
Telephone: (605) 688-4653
Lance_Nixon@sdstate.edu